Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-18
THE BRIDGE HORROR.
CLAIMED THAT GUARD RAILS WOULD
HAVE BEEN OF NO AVAIL.
Nineteen of the victims Identified An Es-
innate of the Number killed and
Burned-Defective Splice Plates,
Another Theory.

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Feb 11.-Su-
perintendent Mulligan's evidence before
the commissioners showed that the truck
or some portion of it was off the track
some distance back from the first broken
rail and an irregular line of marks on the
ties before the rail was reached were
shown to be the marks of wheels similar
to what would be made if the axle was
broken before the rail was reached.
When the commissioners examined the
roadbed leading to the bridge it was found
that the tracks of the flanges upon the
ties showed that from the first place where
the ties bore marks of the wheels clear to
the bridge the trucks kept going farther
to the right so that when the bridge was
reached the right hand wheels must have
struck off the side of the bridge directly
from the abutment. Thus the eight inch
guard timbers which were shown to be on
all bridges of the Central Vermont could
have been of no protection or even any
kind of similar device.
No Identification of bodies have been
made to-day and none of the injured have
died since Sunday. All are in a fair way
to recover The total nun Der of identiti
cations has been up to the present time 10.
The following list is complete and correct
ed from the undertakers books
Conductor Sturtevant, Brakeman Brack
lebanks, Porter Hammer, Porter Jones,
Edward f. Dillon, Springfield, VT, c.
Mills, Iroquois, Canada, Nancy Dunbar,
Somerville, Mass, d. d. Woodland, Wa
terbury, Vt, Samuel s; Westcott, Bur
Imggton, w.t. George J.. Dell, Bellows
Mass, Lewis b. James, New Haven,
Conn. Francis Boulanger, Hoyoke, Mass,
Annastisa Boulanger, Holyoke, Mass, f.
L. Wesson, Springfield. Mass, Harry
Brooks Boston, Mass, Delima Brodeur,
Nashua, y. H., James A. Stone. Burling-
ton, Vt.
In order to obtain most accurate es-
innate of the number of killed or fatally
injured in the recent railroad disaster, the
Associated Press correspondent to-day in
terviewed Alfred +. Watson, clerk of the
board of railroad commissioners, who. in
company with eX-Gov. Pingree, chair
man of the board, visited the scene of the
wreck as early as O'Clock and before Il
hand had been lifted toward removing the
dead. Watson says that both Pingree
and himself discovered lying upon the ice
"A distinct human forms in q charred CON
ditiOn and two resem banceS to bodies
which they We're doubtful about. Subse
quently on the same day six other bodies
were removed from the water and the
tional bodies We're discovered making a
total of 81 passengers known to have been
killed Add to this number Conductor
Sturtevant ana Brocklebanks, the brake
man, who soon after died and the grand
total is 81. Mr.. Watson thinks the cir
cumstances favor the theory that some
bodies We're cremated under the burning
timberS of the bridge.
The theory that the accident was caused
by a brok rail is gaining ground in this
Philadelphia suggests that the accident
may have resulted from defective rail
joints or splice plates.
A: c. Thayer of Chateaugay, y. V, is
at Hartford to-day in search of the re
mains of his son, Herbert Thayer, who
was on the wrecked train, but was I'M
able TO identify his sons remains. A
warm rain storm has prevailed all day
and should 1t continue for "a hours longer
it Is feared the new trestle work now be
ing BUTT to replace the burned bridge will
be swept away.
Later-Late tonight the body of H. A
Thayer Of Chateaugay, y. V, was fully
identified by his father and mother and
the body will go to that place tomorrow
morning with them. Two more of the 81
on the train have been accounted for
this afternoon: Mr.. Neazey, who eS-
capped from the wreck and was driven
10 Hanover, taking the train from there
home, and Mr.. WessOn of Springfield,
whose body was first identified and was
removed from the morgue Saturday and
therefore was not included in the sur
geons estimate of Sunday. This leaves
but two missing. James kiley and Polly
Arel have improved SO much as to be able
TO be taken to their homes tomorrow.
BRANDS PLUCKED FROM THE BURNING.
Charles c. Domett went from St Al
bans Wednesday to testify before the rail
in lot to ba =
accident, and he visited Pease's hotel in
Hartford to see if he could find among the
injured any whom he could identity. In
the third room he visited he saw a young
woman whom he was about to pass when
she SAID stop moment, | think |
know your face" But MI DOmett re-
piled 81 thought | was talking to ghost
at first. You're not dead after all, are
you ! thought you were burned up long
ago. How on earth did you get here p
The young woman smiled and said
After you left me | was sure you'd dig
me out and as | didn't know anything
about the cars being on fire felt perfect
ly easy. After while | found that the
timbers were not pressing me so
hard, and with a little pushing | worked
my way out on the opposite side from
where you and Mr.. Perkins were at work.
| was so frightened when got out and
saw the fire so close by that | wasn't able
10 move. had lost nearly every shred of
clothing on my back getting out The
young woman is Mrs. kastner of Boston,
where her husband is a professor in the
school of technology.
A special train from West Hartford car
ried ex-senator Henry Mott home Thurs
day forenoon. lie was driven from the
junction House in sleigh, in company
with Mrs. Mott. 1t now looks as if only
two of the victims would die. Wilcox OF
Bangor, \. y whose skull is fractured and
who Is growing worse, and Hutchins of
Montgomery, The latter sees visitors,
and is called very comfortable, though the
doctors have considered his case among
the most serious from the first